Equality in trades: Women on the rise in Automotive Collision Repair

Jay Jensen, Annalise Engelbrecht and Breyanna Maisey have loved cars since they were old enough to sit on an engine bay and hold a flashlight; for them, a trades career is a well-worn family tradition.

“My family owns a body shop in Chilliwack,” says Annalise. “My grandfather bought it originally; my father took over as manager. I was exposed to it from a very young age, and at a trades show I fell in love with the mechanics of the paint gun and decided I wanted to learn more about it.”

Women are often underrepresented in trades careers, but change is on its way; these students are part of a larger shift that’s happening across Canada and right here at UFV. This year for the first time ever, UFV’s Automotive Collision Repair and Refinishing class boasts a nearly equal gender split.

Thanks to a concentrated push for recruitment at the annual Fraser Valley Women’s Expo, the UFV Women Explore Trades program, and events like UFV Chilliwack Open House, awareness of UFV’s trade education offerings has grown, bringing more talented women than ever into Associate Professor Nick Penner’s on-campus auto shop. The nine-month Auto Collision Repair and Refinishing certificate educates students in sheet metal repair, custom metal work, and autobody paint jobs. Eight out of Nick’s 17 students this year identified as female.

“You leave with no financial burdens. When I did my schooling, I had zero debt because you earn money while you’re going to school,” Nick explains. “The government pays you while you’re learning, so you get thousands of dollars of schooling basically for nothing. You can make good money if you’re dedicated — it’s a good field to get into.”

While Jay, Annalise, and Breyanna joined the certificate program with an existing passion for cars, some of Nick’s female students — such as Elexis Robins — are trying it out for the first time. She wanted to work with her hands and develop a new skill, and this class fit the bill. With student debt rising, the choice to sign up for a trades certificate and apprenticeship is a no-brainer for many.

For Jay, it’s the culture around cars that drew her in. “I’m interested in modification, personalization, and the fact that my vehicles are an extension of me.”

Her classmate Breyanna agrees. “It’s essentially an art form, a form of expression. Just how some people paint, and some people do pottery: for us, it’s cars.”

This certificate gave Ally Mui the chance to fully repaint a damaged Mitsubishi Lancer, which she outfitted with a gleaming custom coat of bright magenta. Aside from self-expression, learning to repair and paint a vehicle is also a matter of practicality.

“Every vehicle I’ve owned has been 30-plus years old and a little rough, so every time I got a new vehicle, I just wanted to make it look as clean as I could,” says Jay. Her current passion project is a Japanese-imported ’94 Suzuki Carry, while Ally’s fixing up a 2023 Kia Stinger that she hopes to race at Mission Raceway.

With scholarship funding from real estate developer Diane Delves, many more women in trades can benefit from the same education that Nick’s students have enjoyed. The Quantum Properties Annual Scholarship for Women in Trades provides $1,000 to help female students break into more traditionally male-dominated fields.

Past female graduates have gone on to receive their Red Seal certifications and find success in professional refinishing. Now that their course is completed, Ally dreams of opening her own garage, while Jay puts her certificate to work at a local autobody shop where she ensures all her customers get fair treatment and good service.

“Some people try to take advantage of women in an auto shop setting — like overcharging, over-explaining, recommending stuff that absolutely does not need to be done. That’s why I wanted to be at the service counter, just so I can say, ‘I know what you need, I know what you don’t need. I know you don’t need blinker fluid,’” Jay explains. “I’ve had lots of customers say thank you for being here.”

To women considering training for a career in trades, Nick’s students say, “do it.”

“What can you lose? It’s always a good experience regardless,” Jay advises. “Even if you don’t pursue this, you can learn how to fix your vehicle and do minor repairs.”

“If you end up going to a shop, you’ll know what you’re looking for — you know, if they did a bad job, if they’re trying to upsell you or undersell you,” Breyanna adds.

Jay nods in agreement and smiles. “Be informed as much as you can,” are her words of encouragement: “Be your own man.”